Salty Dog Saloon in Kelley Square goes out of business

WORCESTER - The Salty Dog Saloon, a bar that opened in Kelley Square in 2008, has gone out of business.

The managers of the building that housed the restaurant - Joseph A. Lariviere and Gerald A. Kashuk - confirmed this morning that the doors closed for good on Thursday.

In 2008, when the Salty Dog Saloon opened, owner Michael Buehrle said, "We're all about fun and bringing fun back to drinking again."

Mr. Lariviere said Mr. Buehrle gave 30 days' notice to the management company.

Mr. Buehrle, who owns the liquor license, did not return calls and an email seeking comment.

Jonathan Paige works at the Kelley Square Liquor Store across the street from the Salty Dog Saloon.

"I heard about it through word-of-mouth," Mr. Paige said. He was in the bar Thursday night and said people had an idea of the closing but he said there was no announcement made.

Contents in the bar were moved out on Friday.

There were no signs on the doors or windows on Monday. Inside there was trash on the floor and beer bottles littered the bar. Colored Christmas tree lights were left on.

The bar was only open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, according to its website. At the time the bar opened, the Salty Dog website, which advertised the business' 5-year-old Springfield location as well as the Worcester spot, featured bare-midriffed bar waitresses and solicited bartenders who were "the life of the party," "sleep till noon" and "like to throw things in the air," a reference to the bottle-flipping "flair bartending" style favored by the saloon.